David McKean, the outgoing US ambassador to the Grand Duchy, during Amcham’s “New Year’s Gala Lunch”, held in his honour at the Cercle Munster in Luxembourg-Grund on 17 January 2017Thomas Antoine, the Belgian ambassador to Luxembourg, and Vincent Bechet during Amcham’s “New Year’s Gala Lunch” honouring the outgoing US ambassador to Luxembourg, David McKean, held at the Cercle Munster in Luxembourg-Grund on 17 January 2017Alison Shorter-Lawrence, Jean-Baptiste Habourdin and Stephane CompainRoger Behrend, Will Bakker and Carla Rosen-VacherJames O'NealFrancis Hoogewerf (on right) during Amcham’s “New Year’s Gala Lunch” honouring the outgoing US ambassador to Luxembourg, David McKean, held at the Cercle Munster in Luxembourg-Grund on 17 January 2017Jennika Lindholm and Roel SchrijenLionel Fauchet and Marc JacobsMary Rose De Vries and Annica TornerydSusan Farrell and Antoine RechFrom left: Vicki Hansen, Eva Moyniham, Roger Behrend and Torsten ReinhardtMichel Bulach and David SchriebergTim Jackson and Jervis SmithChristian Mais and Donny WagnerFrancis Pedrini, Stephane Compain and Francisco MalpicaChristian Barkei, Nicholas Pnevmatikakis and Michel BulachKillian Glendon and Marielle StevenotAntoine Rech and Christian-Charles LauerSkerdi & Jugera Ibrahimi during Amcham’s “New Year’s Gala Lunch” honouring the outgoing US ambassador to Luxembourg, David McKean, held at the Cercle Munster in Luxembourg-Grund on 17 January 2017Frank Muntendam and Chan ParkMichael FrydlandAmcham’s “New Year’s Gala Lunch” honouring the outgoing US ambassador to Luxembourg, David McKean, held at the Cercle Munster in Luxembourg-Grund on 17 January 2017Michael Brittingham and Delano’s Duncan Roberts during Amcham’s “New Year’s Gala Lunch” honouring the outgoing US ambassador to Luxembourg, David McKean, held at the Cercle Munster in Luxembourg-Grund on 17 January 2017Delano’s Luciana Restivo, Stefan Glober, Louis Wright, Lisa McLeanKathleen Kaye, wife of the US ambassador, Paul Schonenberg, head of Amcham, and David McKean, the American ambassador to the Grand Duchy, during Amcham’s “New Year’s Gala Lunch”, held in the outgoing ambassador’s honour at the Cercle Munster in Luxembourg-Grund on 17 January 2017

Photo: LaLa La Photo

Organised at short notice, Amcham’s farewell to ambassador McKean at the Cercle Munster was nonetheless attended by around 80 guests.

“It is a happy occasion to see everyone here, but also a sad occasion to say goodbye to someone who we all love and appreciate,” said Amcham chairman Paul Schonenberg.

Given an opportunity to speak in public one last time in Luxembourg, the ambassador warned his audience that he may be a little bit provocative at times. “I know that is unusual for an ambassador, but I’m leaving in three days so I’m not that worried about getting fired,” he quipped.

McKean focused his address on what the US president-elect has said about key aspects of foreign policy--“because it will impact Luxembourg and Europe.” In addition, McKean said that foreign policy is the area in which a president has a lot of power, free of many of the checks and balances that restrain many facets of domestic policy.

The ambassador quoted New York Times columnist David Brooks, a Republican but clearly not a fan of the president-elect, who wrote that Donald Trump’s statements “should probably be treated less like policy declarations and more like Snapchat. They exist to win attention at the moment, but then they disappear.”

Power struggle

McKean suggested that the pragmatic leadership of Trump’s secretary of defense and secretary of state nominees, James Mattis and Rex Tillerson, might offer some counterpoint to Trump’s White House staff, and especially the ideologically motivated Michael Flynn and Steve Bannon. “It will be interesting to see who emerges as the most trusted advisor.”

Addressing four key foreign policy areas--the Iran nuclear deal, climate change, Nato and the European Union, and Russia--the ambassador challenged the veracity and intention of Trump’s statements to date, and even pointed to contradictory statements by many of the president-elect’s own advisors.

“There’s no overarching strategic vision that president-elect Trump has been able to articulate, or at least none that I could discern,” McKean said. “The critical question is whether or not president Trump will actually do the things that he promised on the campaign trail. My hope is that once he is inside the White House, his advisors will counsel him to reconsider many of the positions that he has taken.”

McKean wrapped up by saying how honoured he was to have served as ambassador to Luxembourg, and reiterated the close relationship between the two countries. He said, however, that he has worked to “reintroduce America to the people of Luxembourg…as honestly and as forthrightly as possible.”

In an emotional farewell, speaking for himself and his wife Kathleen Kaye, McKean said that although people often referred to Luxembourg as a small country, “ironically it has made our world a lot bigger.”

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